Agenda item

LIST OF BACKGROUND PAPERS AS REQUIRED BY LAW

(Papers relied on to write the report, which do not contain exempt information and which are not published elsewhere)

Contact Officer, telephone number and email:

Lucy Hume, Chief Technical Accountant, 01263 516246

Decision

RESOLVED

To agree and recommend to Full Council:

recommend to Full Council:

1)             The 2021/22 revenue budget as outlined at appendix A1;

2)             The demand on the Collection Fund for 2021/22, subject to any amendments as a result of final precepts still to be received be:

a.     £6,512,488 for District purposes

b.    £2,579,591 (subject to confirmation of the final precepts) for Parish/Town Precepts;

3)             The statement of and movement on the reserves as detailed at appendix D;

4)             The updated Capital Programme and financing for 2021/22 to 2023/24 as detailed at appendix C1;

5)             The capital bids contained within Appendix C2;

6)             That Members note the current financial projections for the period to 2024/25;

Reason for the decision:

To recommend a balanced budget for 2021/22 for approval by Full Council.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance & Assets, Cllr E Seward, introduced this item. He clarified that the first recommendation referred to Appendix A not Appendix A1.

Cllr Seward began by saying that the Council had continued to maintain services and had seen some growth. Overall the finances were sound. He said that the Government had only given local authorities a provisional settlement and the final one was still awaited. There was a similar position regarding the level on non-domestic rates that the Council could retain for 2022-2023. A decision had not yet been announced. However, it was not anticipated that there would be a surplus on the level awarded last year.

Cllr Seward said that a rise in council tax of 1.99% (£5.00) was recommended. He added that NNDC was in the lower 25% quartile in the level of tax it raised. The bulk of council tax collected went to the County Council and the Police authority.

Cllr Seward said that there were uncertainties ahead. The Council needed to raise income £15.9m. Currently, income received from the Government was £1.9m.They also controlled the level of business rates that could be retained – currently £7.2m. In addition, local authorities were currently in the fourth year of a one year settlement agreement, which meant that there was no certainty about income streams in the future. He added that the worst case scenario was that up to 33% of the £9.1m of Government determined funding could be lost. If that happened, then the Council could not continue to maintain its services. So, even by adopting a prudent course, caution must be exercised. This was why options such as increasing some parking charges were being explored.

Cllr Seward concluded by saying that he did not believe that a one year settlement was an appropriate way for local government services to be run and it was a matter that should be aired and discussed more widely.

It was proposed by Cllr E Seward, seconded by Cllr L Shires and

RESOLVED

To agree and recommend to Full Council:

recommend to Full Council:

1)             The 2021/22 revenue budget as outlined at appendix A1;

2)             The demand on the Collection Fund for 2021/22, subject to any amendments as a result of final precepts still to be received be:

a.     £6,512,488 for District purposes

b.    £2,579,591 (subject to confirmation of the final precepts) for Parish/Town Precepts;

3)             The statement of and movement on the reserves as detailed at appendix D;

4)             The updated Capital Programme and financing for 2021/22 to 2023/24 as detailed at appendix C1;

5)             The capital bids contained within Appendix C2;

6)             That Members note the current financial projections for the period to 2024/25;

Reason for the decision:

To recommend a balanced budget for 2021/22 for approval by Full Council.